Here are the 5 original Veejays:

(from left to right: J.J, Jackson, Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Martha Quinn, and Alan Hunter)

this was the very first video aired on MTv:


Here are the first 50 videos that MTV played Aug. 1, 1981.
1. "Video Killed the Radio Star," The Buggles. (this was also the 1 Millionth Video on Mtv)
2. "You Better Run," Pat Benatar.
3. "She Won't Dance With Me," Rod Stewart.
4. "You Better You Bet," The Who.
5. "Little Suzi's on the Up," Ph.D.
6. "We Don't Talk Anymore," Cliff Richard.
7. "Brass in Pocket," The Pretenders.
8. "Time Heals," Todd Rundgren.
9. "Take It on the Run," REO Speedwagon.
10. "Rockin' the Paradise," Styx.

11. "When Things Go Wrong," Robin Lane and the Chartbusters.
12. "History Never Repeats," Split Enz.
13. "Hold on Loosely," 38 Special.
14. "Just Between You and Me," April Wine.
15. "Sailing," Rod Stewart.
16. "Iron Maiden," Iron Maiden.
17. "Keep on Loving You," REO Speedwagon.
18. "Bluer Than Blue," Michael Johnson.
19. "Message of Love," The Pretenders.
20. "Mr. Briefcase," Lee Ritenour.

21. "Double Life," The Cars.
22. "In the Air Tonight," Phil Collins.
23. "Looking for Clues," Robert Palmer.
24. "Too Late," Shoes.
25. "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
26. "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy," Rod Stewart.
27. "Surface Tension," Rupert Hine.
28. "One Step Ahead," Split Enz.
29. "Baker Street," Gerry Rafferty.
30. "I'm Gonna Follow You," Pat Benatar.

31. "Savannah Nights," Tom Johnston.
32. "Lucille," Rockestra.
33. "The Best of Times," Styx.
34. "Vengeance," Carly Simon.
35. "Wrathchild," Iron Maiden.
36. "I Wanna Be a Lifeguard," Blotto.
37. "Passion," Rod Stewart.
38. "Oliver's Army," Elvis Costello.
39. "Don't Let Him Go," REO Speedwagon.
40. "Remote Control," The Silencers.

41. "Angel of the Morning," Juice Newton.
42. "Little Sister," Rockpile with Robert Plant.
43. "Hold on to the Night," Bootcamp.
44. "Dreamin'," Cliff Richard.
45. "Is It You," Lee Ritenour.
46. "Tusk," Fleetwood Mac.
47. "He Can't Love You," Michael Stanley Band.
48. "Tough Guys," REO Speedwagon.
49. "Rapture," Blondie.
50. "Don't Let Go the Coat," The Who.

videos 51-100:
51. "Ain't Love a *****," Rod Stewart.
52. "Talk of the Town," The Pretenders.
53. "Can't Happen Here," Rainbow.
54. "Thank You for Being a Friend," Andrew Gold.
55. "You Better You Bet," The Who. (this was the first song repeated on MTv)

56 "Bring It All Home," Gerry Rafferty.
57. "Sign of the Gypsy Queen," April Wine.
58. "The Man with the Child in His Eyes," Kate Bush.
59. "Message of Love," The Pretenders.
60. "All Night Long," Rainbow.

61. "Boys Keep Swinging," David Bowie.
62. "Rat Race," The Specials.
63. "Just Between You and Me," April Wine.
64. "Once in a Lifetime," Talking Heads.
65. "Victim," Bootcamp.
66. "Tonight's the Night," Rod Stewart.
67. "Cruel to be Kind," Nick Lowe.
68. "A Little in Love," Cliff Richard.
69. "Take It on the Run," REO Speedwagon.
70. "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys," 38 Special.

71. "Wuthering Heights," Kate Bush.
72. "Celebrate the Bullet," The Selector.
73. "More Than I Can Say," Leo Sayer.
74. "A Message to You, Rudy," The Specials.
75. "In the Air Tonight," Phil Collins.
76. "Heart of Glass," Blondie.
77. "Oh, God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight," Rod Stewart.
78. "Kid," The Pretenders.
79. "Wrathchild," Iron Maiden.
80. "Come What May," Lani Hall and Herb Alpert.

81. "I Got You," Split Enz.
82. "Sister Disco," The Who.
83. "Fashion," David Bowie.
84. "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
85. "Love Stinks," J. Geils Band.
86. "Johnny & Mary," Robert Palmer.
87. "Tomorrow Night," Shoes.
88. "Lucille," Rockestra.
89. "Rockin' the Paradise," Styx.
90. "Prime Time," The Tubes.

91. "One Step Ahead," Split Enz.
92. "Hold on Loosely," 38 Special.
93. "Cruel You," Shoes.
94. "Little Sister," Rockpile with Robert Plant.
95. "Calling All Girls," Hilly Michaels.
96. "Keep on Loving You," REO Speedwagon.
97. "I Was Only Joking," Rod Stewart.
98. "You Better You Bet," The Who.
99. "Time Heals," Todd Rundgren.
100. "Let's Go," The Cars

Then on Aug 2, they preceded to stop playing music videos...

I don't think I ever knew Rockestra existed or who was in it.

That's wild that jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour made it into the first 20.

It's almost impossible to describe the impact that MTV had on music -- and really, all forms of entertainment -- when it was introduced.

Everything was changed. Movies, TV shows, commercials.

How were these viewed before MTV? Or were they made specifically for MTV?

DargelSkout said:

---

How were these viewed before MTV? Or were they made specifically for MTV?

---

They used to have various TV shows that were music based and would show videos - I think that was it mainly, but just basing it on old youtube clips I have seen.

Haven't watched MTV since they took Kari Wuhrer off the air.

And three of those original VJs are DJs on SiriusXM!

I can remember seeing Duran Duran's debut video of Rio. I got up, turned off the tv, got on my Red Line with V bars BMX bike, and rode to Memorial City Mall to the record store. I bought that cassette and played it til it wouldn't play anymore!

I was watching live.

Not a lot of bands made videos back then. They all started in earnest when they saw how much it influenced record sales.

1-800-DIAL-MTV

just a little ditty for Martha Quinn……

Anybody remember the Fish Heads video?

And I totally didn't realize Bill Paxton was in it and directed it!

An L of an Ag said:

---

And three of those original VJs are DJs on SiriusXM!

---

Nina Blackwood sounds like she has smoked more than a few cigs in the last 42 years.

javajaws said:

---

Anybody remember the Fish Heads video?

And I totally didn't realize Bill Paxton was in it and directed it!

---

They don't play drums.

Also I remember seeing other weird, avant garde videos like Lene Lovich (Lucky Number) and Laurie Anderson. It was good for a teenager like me to see stuff like that, get out of my "loud guitar" rut. Also Sparks with "I Predict". And the greatest of them all....Gary Numans' "Cars".

There's also a video that got played a bit of Robert Plant and Rockpile (Dave Edmonds, Nick Lowe) doing Elvis' tune, Little Sister. That was the only way you were going to see any reference of Zep until Big Log was released in '83...no videos were filmed for his first solo album (Pictures at Eleven).

Maiden getting early MTV airtime!

Rocagnante said:

---

Maiden getting early MTV airtime!

---

That and those April Wine vids were special to my hard rocker self

I don't think the young ones of today realize the amount of hope that went into channel surfing and forces of nature involved in checking of MTV to see what videos might be on.

Turn to MTV and hope to see Michael Jackson's much hyped Thriller or Billie Jean. Or more often, flip over to MTV when mom and dad aren't around to see Madonna or Janet Jackson or some video with hotties rolling around like Cradle of Love.

8th grade. My neighbor Craig had cable and we'd just watch it for hours at his house. Totally different.

Apartment full watching debut and some of us may or may not have been dancing the night. Nothing like it at the time.

It's been an impressive downhill ride for what used to be a fun channel!

Don't forget Curt Loder. That dude was the old adult amongst all the youngsters on that channel.

I remember as a kid I would stay up late and watch The Young Ones with my older brother

Thank you! Could never remember the shows name. Such great humor.

Rocagnante said:

---

Maiden getting early MTV airtime!

---

Before Bruce Dickinson was the singer no less.

One of the TV rooms at The Commons kept MTV on 24/7. The room would be filled as we watched video after video. Pulled all nighters with MTV playing. I remember watching a group of teens playing Bringing On the Heartbreak and thought how great these guys were. MTV was an event. Quite a few prominent movie directors got their start directing music videos. What a time!

West Point Aggie said:

---

It's been an impressive downhill ride for what used to be a fun channel!

---

YouTube kind of made them irrelevant.

Vince Blake said:

---

I remember as a kid I would stay up late and watch The Young Ones with my older brother

---

Loved me some TYO. Would still stand up today, maybe even better.

They were irrelevant long before YouTube.

Hans Zimmer playing keys for The Buggles!